Volvo’s smallest SUV – the XC40 – voted European car of the Year

VOLVO’s smallest SUV, the compact XC40, has been named European Car of the Year.

It is the first time the award has been won by the carmaker.

The XC40 got a substantial 325 votes – well ahead of SEAT’s Ibiza (242) in second. The BMW 5-series was third on 226 votes.

The award is voted on by a jury comprising 60 journalists from 23 countries.

Volvo’s company chief Håkan Samuelsson said the award-winner represented the future of the brand as it takes it “into a new and fast-growing small SUV segment”.

Strong early orders for the car suggest a bright future, especially in China where strong interest is anticipated.

Apart from design, build quality, clever use of storage space, 2WD/All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) etc, the fact XC40 is the first Volvo to have a car-sharing feature may have influenced some votes. The feature means owners can share their car with family and friends without having to hand over a physical key.

And it is the first to have a new subscription service, called Care by Volvo, which lets customers pay a flat fee for everything (use of the car, insurance, maintenance etc) rather than outright ownership.